Glass scoring machine



Dec. 28, 1943. J. s. HARKER GLASS SCORING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1.941 5 Sheets-Sheet l JOHN s. HARKER J. S. HARKER GLASS SCORING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6

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Dec. 28, 1943.

J. S. HARKER GLASS SCORING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WNH JOHN S. HARKER aHy/WW Dec. 28, 1943. .1. s. HARKER GLASS. SCORING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 m K P A H S N H o .J

Dec. 28, 1943. J. s. HARKER GLASS SCORING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 JOHN s. HARKER Patented Dec. 28,- 1943 OFFICE GLASS SCORING MACHINE John S. Harker, Vineland, N. J.,

Vineland, N. J., a. corporable Glass Company, tion of Illinois assignor to Kim- Application December 6, 1941, Serial No. 421,981

Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for scoring cylindrical glass ware, and more particularly to mechanism for feeding, positioning, and rotating the ware with respect to suitable scoring means.

Certain materials used by surgeons and physicians, such as ligatures and the like, are stored in sterile glass containers until ready for use. These containers are provided with a circumferential score to permit the container to be broken when it is desired to remove the contents thereof. The containers are usually bottomed at one end and open at the other end to permit insertion of the material. After they have been filled, the containers are sealed tightly. It has been found expedient to employ an unbreakable seal so that breakage of the container along a circumferential line or score intermediate its ends is the customary manner in which the container is opened to remove its contents.

This invention has to do primarily with providing a circumferential score mark on containers of the character referred to, the mark being incised at a predetermined distance from an end of the container.

Another object of the invention is so to sort or position the containers before scoring that the closed ends thereof will always be aligned on the same side of the cutting saw.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of timed mechanism designed to feed, sort and score the containers so that these operations are all done automatically in predetermined sequence.

The invention will be further understood from the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of a machine for feeding, sorting and scoring cylindrical glass ware;

Fig. 2 is a rear sectional elevation of the machine taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, parts thereof being removed for clarity;

Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a partial top plan View of the machine;

Fig. 5 illustrates the cams employed on one cam shaft;

Fig. 6 illustrates the cams on another cam shaft, one of the cams being broken away;

Fig. 7 is a front view of one of the cams shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a perspective of a reversing mechanism employed in the machine;

Fig. 9 is a partial elevation of one of the transfer bars used to advance the ware;

Fig. 10 is a section through a transfer plate taken on line Ill-l0 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section taken on line llll of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, the base frame I l is supported on legs l2. Brackets I3, I 4 are also secured to legs I2 and carry bearings I5, I 6 for cam shaft l1 and cross rod l8, respectively. Brackets IS on the frame support posts 2| to which are secured brackets 22, 23 in which are mounted rods 24, 25 supporting feed racks 26 and magazine 21, respectively.

Magazine 21 comprises a pair of parallel side walls 28, the forward ends of which are of reduced height, and an L-shaped plate 29 having a vertical portion 3| and an inclined portion 32, the latter being parallel to an inclined bottom member 33 of the magazine. The plate 29 is vertically adjustable to space the portion 32 a distance from member 33 sufficient to permit only one layer of the glass blanks 20 disposed in the magazine to roll toward the discharge end of the magazine. A second bottom member 34 is positioned somewhat higher than member 33 and is bent downwardly at 35 to meet member 33. An agitator 36 insures feeding of the blanks onto member 33. At the discharge end of the magazine is a vertically oscillatable gate 31, operated by cam and link mechanism to be described hereinafter, which permits release of the blanks one atatime.

Feed racks 26 are moved rearwardly by a stepby-step mechanism, including cam 20 on shaft I l and lever 20 pivoted on rod I8, the containers released by gate 31 being deposited one at a time in successive notches 38 of the rack. When a predetermined number of blanks has been deposited in the notches, the rack is moved in the opposite direction suificiently forwardly to bring the rack notches into vertical alignment with similarly spaced channels in plate 39, the latter at this time being positioned in a plane below that of the rack notches.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a number of cams are fast on shaft Il. Cam 40, also shown in Fig. 6, engages roller 4! on rocker arm 42 pivoted on cross rod l8. Secured to arm 42 is an arm 42' which, through link 43, oscillates gate 31. Cam 44, shown in Fig. 6, controls the elevation and lowering of plate 39 through arms 35, 45' on rod l8, the arms being fast to each other, link 46 and arm 41 pivoted on shaft 48. Arm 41 carries roller 49 engaging a head 5| on the lower end of post 52, to the upper end of which is secured the plate 39. Post 52 is guided it will be seen that face, so that,

by bracket 53 and is rotatable as well as vertically reciprocable with respect thereto. A second channeled plate 54, similar to plate 39, is secured to post 55, the latter being guided for vertical reciprocation by bracket 56. At the lower end of post 55 is a head 51 engageable with roller 68 on arm 59, the latter being fast with arm 59' and pivoted on rod I8. Arm 59' is connected by link 6| to arm 62 on shaft 48 and roller 58 on arm 59' engages cam 69 on shaft I1. The operation of the cams and rocker arms for raising and lowering plates 39 and 54 is similar for each of these plates, but the reciprocation is neither simultaneous nor of equal duration or distance for reasons which will be apparent from operations which will be later explained.

Mounted on base frame II on opposite sides of the machine are standards 63 having laterally extending arms 64 thereon. Secured to arms 64 are brackets 65 forming supports for spaced parallel guide rods 66. Slidably mounted on rods 66 are sleeves 61 connected at one end thereof by a U-shaped bridge 68 and having secured to their other ends yokes 69. These yokes are connected by links H with cross piece 12 of lever 13, the latter being pivoted on bracket 14 bolted to frame I2. The lower end of lever 13 carries roller 15 which engages cam 16. In this way the sleeves and bridge 68 are reciprocated in a direction transverse to movement of racks 26. Secured to bridge 68 are push rods 11, these push rods being in parallel relation and spaced a distance equal to the distance between the channels in plates 39 and 54.

As shown in Fig. 4, the glass blanks 39 are so positioned on plate 39 that the open ends of some of the blanks are nearest certain of the push rods 11. The blanks are deposited transversely in magazine 21 but without regard to the direction in which the open ends of the blanks when deposited on plate 39, the open ends of some of the blanks may be nearest push rods 11 while others may have their closed ends nearer the push rods. Hence, when push rods 11 are moved toward the blanks in Fig. 4, they will engage only those blanks the closed ends of which face the push rods to push these blanks over onto plate 54 and will enter the open ends of others of the blanks if such open ends face the push rods. In order to transfer all of the blanks from plate 39 to plate 54, mechanism is provided for turning plate 39 through an angle of 189. This mechanism comprises a toothed rack 18 guided in bracket 53 and meshing with pinion 19 splined on post 52. Rack 18 is reciprocated by lever 8| pivoted on rod I8, the lower end of the lever carrying roller 82 engageable with cam 83 and the upper end of the lever being connected by link 84 to the rack. In this manner, opposite ends of the blanks are alternately positioned to present the closed ends of the blanks to the ends of the push rods so that successive reciprocations of the push rods will transfer all of the blanks from plate 39 to plate 54.

Fixed to sleeves 61 and parallel to a plane coincident with the ends of push rods 11 is a plate 85 positioned slightly above and forwardly of the ends of the push rods. After the first transfer movement of the push rods, plate 39 is elevated a distance sufiicient to permit plate 85 to engage the ends of the blanks remaining on plate 39. While in this elevated position, plate 39 is turned through a half revolution. Plate 85 is then moved forwardly to align the ends of the blanks. This is done to prevent abnormally positioned blanks from engaging the push rods as plate 39 is lowered to be thereby tilted and perhaps fall into the machine.

After the blanks first engaged by the push rods have been transferred to plate 54, and during the period when plate 39 is being elevated, rotated, and then lowered to a position in which the blanks remaining on plate 39 may be engaged by the push rods, plate 54 is lowered a distance sufficient to permitthe blanks, which project beyond the side edges of plate 54, to be deposited on parallel inclined guides 86, these guides being spaced a distance sufficient to permit plate 54 to pass between them. Plate 54 is again elevated to receive the blanks which have been reversed and transferred by the push rods and again lowered to permit these latter blanks to rest on guides 85.- The blanks roll down the inclined guides until the forwardmost blank rests against upturned flanges 81 which act as stops. It will be apparent that, after two reciprocations of the push rods, the closed ends of the blanks all face in the same direction. Adjacent to and within guides 86 are spaced parallel notched racks 88, the rear edge of the racks being disposed immediately under and in back of the foremost blank in the guides. Adjacent each of these racks are aligned discs or rollers 89 forming saddles for supporting the blanks so that they may be rotated. It is to be noted that each notch in the rack 88 is defined by a relatively long inclined face 88' and a vertical step face 88". The racks are mounted on vertically reciprocable slides 9| each having at its lower end a roller 92 engaging cams 93 on cam shaft 94. As the rack is elevated by the cams, the notch nearest guides 86 lifts the foremost blank above the first rollers, the blank rolling down the inclined faces of the racks to be deposited between adjacent rollers, that is, in the first saddle. Successive reciprocations of the racks advance the blanks from one saddle to another and finally discharge the blanks into a suitable container.

When a blank has been deposited between the central pairs of rollers, it is scored. Before the scoring tool engages the ware, however, the blank is properly positioned to insure scoring at a predetermined distance from an end of the blank. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that standard 95 is provided at its upper end with a threaded boss 96 into which is threaded an adjustable stop member 91. At the opposite side of the rollers is a second standard 98 having a boss 99 provided with a plain bore in which there is slidably mounted for reciprocation therein a push rod I9I. Spring I92 in the boss bear against a shoulder on the push rod to urge the push rod into engaging relation with the ware. Pivoted to the standard at I93 is a bell crank I94 one arm of which bears against nut I95, the latter being adjustable on a threaded portion of the push rod. The other arm of the bell crank is engaged by a vertically reciprocable rod I96,having a suitable guide bearing in the machine frame. Rod I96 carries roller I91 which rides on cam I98, the latter being fast on cam shaft 94. As the ware is positioned in the appropriate saddle and in line with the push rod, cam I98 permits release of spring I92 and push rod I9I, the latter urging the ware against stop 91. In this way the ware is definitely positioned with respect to the cutting tool shown generally at I99.

The cutting or scoring tool disclosed herein is a rotary disc III having a sharpened peripheral edge and mounted on a frame II2 pivoted on asszsss shaft 3 to permit movement of the tool toward and from the wara- Frame 2 has an extension II4 having a counterweight I I5 suspended from the end thereof. The saw is driven from motor M through belts H6, H1, jack-shaft H8, pulleys H9, I20, and belt I2I, I22. It isunderstood that the tool'is swingable about its fulcrum H3, being normally urged upwardly to engage the ware by counterweight 5. It should be noted at this point that cam shaft I 'I is driven from cam shaft 94 by means of chain I23. During the step of transferring the ware to the saddles, the tool is lowered by lifting extension H4 and the counterweight suspended therefrom. This is done by cam I24 which engages roller I25 n arm I26, the latter being connected to arm I21, which, in turn, is connected to extension H4 throu h link I28.

As shown in Fig. 3, a cross rod I29 i supported from the upper ends of standards 63. Pivotally mounted on this rod is a sleeve I30 having arms I 3|, I 32 fast thereon, arm I3I carrying a yoke I33 in which is journaled a driven pressure roll I34. Arni I32 is connected to lever I35 by link I36. Lever I35 is pivoted on shaft H3 and carrie roller I31 engageable with cam I38. Cams I24 and I38 move the scoring tool and pressure roll toward the ware simultaneously to engage the lower and upper sides of the ware, respectively. The pressure roll is positively driven and is provided with a friction surface to rotate the ware while it is being scored. The means for driving the pressure roll consist of chain I39 meshing with sprockets MI, I42 on cam shaft 94 and stub shaft I43, respectively, stub shaft I44, and propeller shaft I45 connected to the stub shafts by universal joints I46.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that cylindrical blanks, each having a closed end, are automatically fed from a hopper or magazine to mechanism which rights the Ware to position all of the blanks with the closed ends to one and the same side of the scoring tool. The blanks are then presented one at a time to the scoring tool which scores a circumferential shallow groove in the ware.

The everal cams operate the mechanisms herein described to advance the ware through the operating stages of feeding and reversing the ware, positioning it in predetermined relation with respect to the scoring tool and finally scoring the ware. The several operations are all automatic and continuous so that the blanks are scored accurately as well as rapidly.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that it may be modified to meet vary ing requirements. The claims are, therefore, to be construed with this in view.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for scoring a plurality of cylindrical glass blanks, each having a closed end and an open end, a scoring tool, means for sorting said blanks to position the blanks with the closed ends of all of the blanks in alignment, and means for effecting relative movement of the blanks and the tool to score the blanks.

2. In a machine for scoring a plurality of glass blanks, each having a closed end an an open end, a scoring tool, means for sorting said blanks including a pair of plates for supporting the blanks in spaced parallel relation, means for engaging the closed ends of certain of said blanks to transfer the blanks from one to the other of said plates,

and means for thereafter positioning the transferred blanks in predetermined relation to said scoring tool.

3. In a machine for scoring a plurality of glass blanks, each having a closed end and an open end, a scoring tool, means for sorting said blanks including a pair of plates for supporting the blanks in spaced parallel relation, means for engaging the closed ends of certain of said blanks to transfer the blanks from one to the other of said plates, means for rotating said one plate to present the closed ends of the others of said blanks to said end engaging means whereby said other blanks are transferred to said other plate, and means for thereafter positioning the transferred blanks in predetermined relation to said scoring tool.

'4. In a machine for scoring a plurality of glass blanks, each having a closed end and an open end, a scoring tool, means for sorting said blanks including a pair of plates for supporting the blanks in spaced parallel relation, a plurality of spaced reciprocable push rods adapted to engage the closed ends of certain of said blanks, means for positioning the blanks in axial alignment with said push rods, means for reciprocating said push rods to transfer the blanks from one to the other of said plates, and means for thereafter positioning the transferred blanks in predetermined relation to said scoring tool.

5. In a machine for scoring a plurality of glass blanks, each having a closed end and an open end, a scoring tool, means for sorting said blanks including a pair of plates for supporting the blanks in spaced parallel relation, means for engaging the closed ends of certain of said blanks to transfer the blanks from one to the other of said plates, means for rotating said one plate 180 to present the closed ends of the others of said blanks to said engaging means, means for positioning the blanks in axial alignment with said engaging means, means for reciprocating said engaging means to transfer the blanks from one to the other of said plates, and means for thereafter positioning the transferred blanks in predetermined relation to said scoring tool.

6. In a machine for scoring a plurality of cylin- I drical glass blanks, each having a closed end and an open end, means for sorting said blank including a pair of members having spaced parallel recesses therein, a plurality of spaced parallel push rods, means for reciprocating said push rods to engage the closed ends of certain of said blanks to transfer said certain blanks from one to the other of said plates, and means for rotating said one plate 180 to position the closed ends of the blanks remaining on said one plate to be engaged by said push rods.

7. In a machine for scoring a plurality of cylindrical glass blanks, each having a closed end and .an open end, means for sorting said blanks including a pair of plates, each having spaced parallel channels on one face thereof, the channels in one plate being aligned with the channels in the other of said plates, a plurality of reciprocable push rods, saidpush rods being parallel and spaced a distance corresponding to the spacing of said channels, and mean for reciprocating said push rods to transfer blanks from one to the other of said plates.

8. In a machine for scoring a plurality of cylindrical glass blanks, each having a closed end and anopen end, means for sorting said blank including a pair of plates each having spaced parallel channels on a horizontal face thereof, the

channels in one plate being allgnable with the channels in the other of. said plates, a plurality of spaced horizontal push rods, said push rods being parallel and spaced 8. distance corresponding to the spacing of said channels, means for lowering and elevating said plates, means for depositing blank on one of said'plates in one position thereof, and means for reciprocating said push rods to engage blank on said one plate in another position thereof to transfer the blanks to the other of said plates.

9. In a machine for scoring a plurality of cylindrical glass blanks, each having a closed end and an open end, means for sorting said blanks including a pair of plates each having spaced parallel channels on a horizontal face thereof, the channels in one plate being alignable with the channels in the other of said plates, a plurality of spaced horizontaI push rods, said push rods being parallel and spaced a distance corresponding to the spacing of said channels, means for lowering and elevating said plates, means for depositing blanks on one of said plates in one position thereof, means for reciprocating said push rods to engage blanks on said one plate in another position thereot to transfer the blanks to the other of said plates, and means for rotating said one plate to reverse th ends of the blanks remaining on said one plate.

10. In a machine for scoring a plurality of cylindrical glass blanks, each having a closed end and an open end, means for sorting said blanks including a pair of plates each having spaced. parallel channels on a horizontal face thereof, the channels in one plate being alignable with the channels in the other of said plates, a plurality of spaced horizontal push rods', said push rods being parallel and spaced a distance corresponding to the spacing of 'said channels, means for lowering and elevating said plates, means for depositing blanks on one of sat in one position thereof, mean for reciprocating said push rods to engage blanks on said one plate in another position thereof to transfer the blanks to the other of said plates gear means associated with said one plate, a rack meshing with said means, and means for reciprocating said rack to rotate said one plate whereby the ends of the blanks remaining on said one plate are reversed.

JOHN S. HARKER.

(1 plates 

